Speaking to analysts and investors on a call to discuss the proposed acquisition of Nokia's Devices & Services division, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer shared his opinion on Windows Phone naming conventions. "I will just say that I think we can probably do better," said Ballmer, noting that "an efficiency of being one company" is Microsoft will be able to avoid names such as "the Nokia Lumia Windows Phone 1020."

Under Ballmer and his predecessor, Microsoft has announced a slew of lengthily named mobile operating systems. What became "Windows Phone 7" was originally "Windows Phone 7 Series," itself a reboot of the tired Windows Mobile platform, which was originally named Pocket PC 2002 Phone Edition. With an entire phone company's expertise at its disposal, perhaps it'll be fifth time lucky for Microsoft?  The full quote from today's call follows.

"I will say that I think we can probably do better for consumer names than 'the Nokia Lumia Windows Phone 1020,' and yet because of where both companies are and the independent nature of the businesses, we haven't been able to shorten that. Just take that as a proxy for a range of improvements that we feel we can make. We can simplify the way in which we work with operators and the overall consumer branding and messaging gets much simpler. That is an efficiency of being one company."